MATES Program Deeds of Agreement
Dear Department of Veterans' Affairs,
I request copy of all signed Deeds of Agreement (excluding drafts) between the Department and the University of South Australia for the provision of programs utilising health care data between 2003 and 2024, including all Statement of Requirements (or similar titled documents) defining and describing the services to be provided for those programs.
I also request copy of all notices given by the Department to its clients between 2003 and 2024 that state that the Department will routinely disclose their health data to the University of South Australia for use in these programs. Where a template notice is used only copy of the template is in scope (duplicates of the same notice are irrelevant).
As these programs have been the subject of multiple media reports regarding breaches of privacy and failures to obtain consent, there is a public interest in this information so please make sure these documents are accessible to everyone when responding.
Yours faithfully,
Jenny
Dear Jenny,
The Department of Veterans' Affairs (the department) has received your
request for access to information under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act). I note you have requested access to the following:
''I request copy of all signed Deeds of Agreement (excluding drafts)
between the Department and the University of South Australia for the
provision of programs utilising health care data between 2003 and 2024,
including all Statement of Requirements (or similar titled documents)
defining and describing the services to be provided for those programs.
I also request copy of all notices given by the Department to its clients
between 2003 and 2024 that state that the Department will routinely
disclose their health data to the University of South Australia for use in
these programs. Where a template notice is used only copy of the template
is in scope (duplicates of the same notice are irrelevant).
As these programs have been the subject of multiple media reports
regarding breaches of privacy and failures to obtain consent, there is a
public interest in this information so please make sure these documents
are accessible to everyone when responding.''
Your request was received by the department on 27 January 2024 and the
ordinary 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced
from the day after that date.
If we are in a position to make a decision on your request earlier than
this date, we will endeavour to do so.
The statutory period may also be extended if we need to consult third
parties or for other reasons permitted under the FOI Act. We will advise
you if this happens.
Charges
If the Department considers that a charge will apply to your request, you
will be notified within 14 days of an estimate of the charges that will
apply to your request for non-personal information before we process any
requested documents or impose a final charge.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your contact address is
[1][FOI #11052 email] . Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on a disclosure
log on our website, subject to certain exceptions. These exceptions
include where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[2][DVA request email]
Kind Regards
Arthur Information Access Registrations Officer
Position Number – 62341836
Information Access Unit
Ministerial, International & Stakeholder Relations Branch
Ministerial, Communication & Engagement Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[3][DVA request email]
[4]www.dva.gov.au
[5]cid:image001.png@01D8F043.829927E0[6]cid:image002.png@01D8F043.829927E0[7]cid:image003.png@01D8F043.829927E0[8]cid:image004.png@01D8F043.829927E0
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References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #11052 email]
2. mailto:[DVA request email]
3. mailto:[DVA request email]
4. http://www.dva.gov.au/
5. https://www.facebook.com/DVAAus
6. https://twitter.com/DVAAus
7. https://au.linkedin.com/company/australi...
8. https://www.youtube.com/DVATVAus
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS,
I vary my request to cover only 300 pages (excluding blank and redacted in full pages) of material to be released, with priority in the order listed below:
Priority One - Copy of the Statement of Requirements (SOR) (or equivalent) for each Deed of Agreement executed between the University of South Australia and the Department between 2003 and 2024 inclusive, excluding as irrelevant those pages that disclose fees to be paid and the manner in which payments are to be requested;
Priority Two - Copy of the rest of the each Deed of Agreement executed between the University of South Australia and the Department between 2003 and 2024 inclusive;
Priority Three - copy of all notices given by the Department to its clients between 2003 and 2024 inclusive that state that the Department will routinely disclose their health data to the University of South Australia for use in these programs. Where a template notice is used only copy of the template is in scope (duplicates of the same notice are irrelevant).
I see that the Department has previously released a 23 December 2015 - 30 June 2018 Deed of Agreement between the University and the Department under FOI in 2018, which does not require reconsidering again as it was published online by the Department. It does provide a guide as size (around 40 pages) and what was in the public interest to release. As I have a copy of that Deed I exclude that 23 December 2015 - 30 June 2018 Deed of Agreement between the University and the Department as irrelevant.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS,
My FOI of 27 January 2024, which the Department acknowledged on 1 February 2024, was required by section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act to have received a decision today.
Yet again the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has forced another FOI to received a deemed refusal response, as a way of unlawfully preventing access to official documents. I still have not received a decision to my FOI of 17 November 2023, despite your Assistant Director Joshua saying on 19 January that a decision was imminent.
It is no surprise there is a Royal Commission investigating DVA, with such unethical inappropriate behaviour of the Department that it has displayed here.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS,
I still have not received any apology or explanation as to why, yet again, DVA has intentionally forced a deemed refusal decision and withheld statement of reasons.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS,
Another month and still no response or decision.
Is there a reason you have still not responded to the notice of your failure to provide a decision, even though weeks have passed?
Is this just rudeness on your part, or something more sinister?
These multiple failures by DVA to give decisions in the times specified by the FOI Act is a deliberate and intentional strategy it now is demonstrated. Is flouting your statutory obligations just how DVA operates? The Royal Commission was long overdue it seems.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny
Dear INFORMATION.ACCESS,
I request copy of the record of administration of this FOI made on 27 January 2024, which I can see from other FOIs here you can produce from LEX, to see why such an unreasonable and excessive delay has occurred.
Yours sincerely,
Jenny
Dear Jenny,
The Department of Veterans' Affairs (the department) has received your
request for access to information under the Freedom of Information Act
1982 (FOI Act). I note you have requested access to the following:
'...I request copy of the record of administration of this FOI made on 27
January 2024, which I can see from other FOIs here you can produce from
LEX, to see why such an unreasonable and excessive delay has occurred...'
Your request was received by the department on 23 April 2024 and the
ordinary 30 day statutory period for processing your request commenced
from the day after that date.
If we are in a position to make a decision on your request earlier than
this date, we will endeavour to do so.
The statutory period may also be extended if we need to consult third
parties or for other reasons permitted under the FOI Act. We will advise
you if this happens.
Charges
If the Department considers that a charge will apply to your request, you
will be notified within 14 days of an estimate of the charges that will
apply to your request for non-personal information before we process any
requested documents or impose a final charge.
Your address
The FOI Act requires that you provide us with an address that we can send
notices to. You have advised your contact address is
[1][FOI #11052 email] . Unless you tell us
otherwise, we will send all notices and correspondence to this address.
Disclosure log
Information released under the FOI Act may be published on a disclosure
log on our website, subject to certain exceptions. These exceptions
include where publication of personal, business, professional or
commercial information would be unreasonable.
Further assistance
If you have any questions about your request, please email
[2][DVA request email]
Yours sincerely
Kevin| Information Access Officer
Position 62373493
Information Access Unit
Client and Information Access Branch
Ministerial, Communication & Engagement Division
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372)
[3][DVA request email]
[4]www.dva.gov.au
[5]cid:image008.jpg@01D8EA24.8F7FA8A0
[6]cid:image009.jpg@01D8EA24.8F7FA8A0
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #11052 email]
2. mailto:[DVA request email]
3. mailto:[DVA request email]
4. http://www.dva.gov.au/